Alayna
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3

Three-year-old Alayna began each day on her wish trip to Walt Disney World® Resort with ice cream for breakfast, which is a staple for wish families at the Ice Cream Palace inside Give Kids The World Village. With giant ice cream cones and bananas adorning the colorful façade, wish kids like Alayna are invited inside to enjoy complimentary all-you-can eat frozen treats.

Alayna and her family attended the Give Kids The World holiday party where she and her older brother Aiden received gifts along with the other wish families. In addition, Alayna got a special gold star for her to write her name on that now has a permanent home inside the Castle of Miracles, which features more than 80,000 stars on the ceiling.

“It was humbling to see wish kid stars in the Castle of Miracles and to know that her name is now up there,” Alayna’s mom, Sharla, said.

Alayna, who has a congenital cardiac condition, hates doctor appointments and will start crying when the nurse starts to place the EKG stickers on her. Sharla discovered one day that music by the “Voices of Liberty” instantly calmed Alayna down.

So Alayna was thrilled when she actually met the “Voices of Liberty” performers during her wish trip. The a cappella group sings Americana, folk and patriotic songs at Epcot®. As a result, Alayna calls her favorite singer Tiffany “America,” which made the group laugh when she first said that during their meet and greet. Tiffany spent 20 minutes talking with Alayna after their performance, tickling her and getting her to laugh. Karen, who is another performer in the group, sang a solo to her brother Aiden. The personal attention and individualized experience during the meet and greet was a wonderful opportunity for their family.

“I cannot express enough how grateful we are,” Sharla said. “The wish was a time to heal. She had these moments to forget about everything, and I just watched her have fun.”